Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys

Spinal cord injuries are some of the most devastating injuries that can occur in an accident. Every year, roughly 17,810 Americans suffer from these injuries.  Car accidents account for 38.6% of these injuries, whereas falls account for 32.2%.

As you can imagine, we see spinal cord injuries quite often here in our law firm. We’re well aware of the damage these injuries can do to a person’s life, which is why we work so hard to help them get compensated.

What are the types of spinal cord injury?

Complete spinal cord injuries are the most serious. The spinal cord becomes cut or damaged to the point where the brain’s signals won’t travel down to the impacted area anymore. This can lead to paralysis in the affected areas.

Incomplete spinal cord injuries are compressions to the spinal cord. This can still compromise sensory and motor functions, including the complete loss of sensation in certain areas of the bottom. This is the most common type of injury, accounting for about 60% of all spinal cord injuries.

The location of the damage will make a big difference in the symptoms you experience.

Damage to the front of the spinal cord can lead to mobility issues and a loss of sensation.

Damage to the center of the spinal cord can lead to a loss of fine motor skills, paralysis of the arms, partial impairment of the legs, incontinence, and the loss of sexual function.

Brown-Sequard injuries occur on one side of the spinal cord, affecting just one side of the body.

You might also hear people referring to tetraplegia, paraplegia, and triplegia.

Tetraplegia involves varying degrees of paralysis in all limbs, and is sometimes known as quadriplegia. Paraplegia refers to a loss of sensation and paralysis in the lower half of the body. Triplegia causes a loss of sensation and movement in one arm and both legs.

Effects of Spinal Cord Injuries

The early symptoms of spinal cord injuries include:

• Paralysis
• Difficulty breathing
• Incontinence
• Nerve pain
• Long-term effects can include:
• Headaches
• Chronic pain
• Changes in mood or personality
• Loss of sexual function
• Pneumonia
• Bedsores
• Frequent infections
• Difficulty breathing

Some victims of this injury require a respirator to breathe or a feeding tube to eat. In addition, a spinal cord injury can literally lower a person's life expectancy.

Average Costs of Spinal Cord Injuries

Hospitalization costs can start at $19,994 and range all the way up to $52,489.

Outpatient care can range from $7, 168 to $12,183.

If you’re experiencing tetraplegia, paraplegia, or motor function decreases at any level, you can expect to need $375,196 to $3,727,066 for your long-term care. You’ll need a caregiver, special medical equipment, and special training to help you do things in a new way.

The grand totals are even higher. For example, low tetraplegia can produce a grand total in $769,000 in medical expenses.

Finally, there’s the incalculable damage done to a person’s quality of life, including their careers, their ability to pursue beloved hobbies, or their ability to spend time with loved ones. While it’s hard to put a price tag on such things, we do our best to ensure that you get top dollar so that you can meet your needs.